About Me

Thursday, October 29, 2009

My novel, Time of the Heathen, is now available on Kindle Books. You can also download the first 3 chapters for free from my website in PDF format. The book should also be available from Barnes and Noble as an eBook download for the Nook reader.

I'm looking for sci fi/fantasy readers willing to send me their feedback and editorial comments. Request a free copy of the book in PDF as an editorial reader by e-mailing your request to: time_of_the_heathen@comcast.net.

His Dark Materials is three good stories but serves as a channel to propagate the author's aetheistic view of human spiritually. My book Time of the Heathen is a mirror opposite of it. Without being overtly Christian, my story refutes the moral/ethical assumptions Pullman gives to his characters. There is an inspiration that is dark and also one that is light. In my story Ewan and Alysa grow spiritually in opposite directions.

The Bartimaeus Trilogy is also three well-written stories, but has a complete absence of any moral or ethical sensibilities until the middle of book 3. Just about everyone in the trilogy is selfish, wicked, or immoral - until the end where a demon and a wizard develop a kind of moral sensibility toward each other.

Mary Stewart's story is just a re-telling of the Arthurian legend, filling in much detail and characterization in a way modern readers find attractive.

I'm reviewing these books as I prepare to write Vol 2 of the Time of the Heathen which is planned to cover 1,000 years of human history lived under alien domination.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Here is an excerpt from the first chapter. The couple (Alysa and Ewan) meet the Shadowman and his minions for the first time.

Without warning shadow figures stepped from the darkness and, with a sound like the fluttering of raven's wings, took places on the piceous benches on both sides of the table. They were flat two-dimensional featureless sihouettes, turning their heads on their bodies like birds, nodding, chirping as a group. She looked at one intently. As she did it grew strangely three-dimensional with shadow cheeks, nose, lips, and blinking eyes. When she looked away in perplexed embarrassment it again became a sihouette. The shadow man noticed her response. Brushing aside the hair lying over her ear, he whispered."Pay attention to them and they grow lifelike. Ignore them, well, they don't like to be ignored."

I'm now searching for a book printing company that I can retain to print short runs of my book either in trade size (6" x 9") or standard paperback (4.25" x 6"). So far a run of 100 is quoted at $7.00 a book while a run of 250 is quoted at $4.50 a book. If I can get the price for 100 copies down to under $5.00 per each, it makes sense to print them and sell them on Amazone and through an Ebay store. The biggest problem is providing a means for any who want to purchase the book an easy way to pay for it. Of course, PayPal is an option. But having a website that can process credit cards is better. I'm still trying to find a literary agent or publisher, but that is moving slowly.